# Rural Willy 200km Route Link: [https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49999324](https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49999324) My Ride: [https://ridewithgps.com/trips/262793364](https://ridewithgps.com/trips/262793364) Total Time: 8:25 Ride Time: 8:06 Miles: 126.2 Elevation: 6988 ft. The Rural Willy 200km is a beast of a ride promising hills and thrills, if you crave quad-scorching climbs, this route is your siren call. Dawn cracked, painting the eastern horizon in hues of pink and purple, a silent witness to the journey ahead. The first twenty miles, familiar territory from the [[Covered Bridges 400km Full Report 2024| Covered Bridges 300k/400k]] route. Then, an eastbound turn launched me into the heart of the hills. Fourteen miles of steady climbing, 1200 feet of elevation gain, and a couple of sneaky false summits. The reward? Blessedly barren backroads. A meditation for the solitary cyclist. The descent down to the valley floor was a blur, a chilly rush. The flat expanse of Highway 211 stretched ahead. A one and a half mile section of narrow shoulders before widening to a more comfortable width. Then, a tricky left turn onto Highway 213, kept me heading south. Starbucks, a welcome oasis in the heart of small-town America, also the first control. With a brief pause, a quick backtrack, and I was immersed back into the classic Willamette Valley scenery, winding towards Silverton. Silverton, the southern most route point, is a great lunch stop. I chose the fast option, wolfing down a bar while pedaling towards the next town, Gervais. Heading north I could now feel the brush of a tailwind. Rolling into Gervais, I top up on supplies and stretched. Fully stocked, I powered into the remaining flat miles. French Prairie Road, a ten-mile stretch, could have been a slog. The tailwind and manageable traffic made it bearable, with traffic thinning to near nothingness as I approached the Willamette River crossing. Now the necessary evil. Highway 219, a less trafficked crossing of the Willamette. A three-mile gauntlet: narrow shoulders, bridges, and fast traffic. The transition to quieter Newberg roads was a welcome relief, that led me past the second to last control. The final hills loomed ahead. One hundred miles in the legs, a testament to endurance. One last opportunity to meditate on suffering. The first hill, a two-mile grind at a 5-7% grade. The descent? Absolutely glorious. Watch the left turn at the bottom though. The second hill? Shorter and steeper. A 7-10% mile and a half wall. After the summit, a descent onto more regularly trafficked roads. With the hills behind me, rolling through the outskirts of Tualatin, I connected to the Covered Bridges 400k route. The last navigation challenge is the closed overpass on Hall Blvd. fortunately a pedestrian bridge avoids a detour. Arriving at the finish was a welcomed relief, the lactic acid burn will keep the adventure alive. The Rural Willy 200km is a demanding route, a training ground for the hill lovers, dreamers, and me.